Various types of power operated clutch and brake combinations have been devised in the past for application in machines, particularly those having a motor driven flywheel. Machines such as presses employ rotatable shafts for driving a platten or the like using the large amount of inertia developed by the flywheel. The inertia of both the flywheel and the operating parts of the machine dictate the need for a brake device for terminating operation of the machine when the clutch disengages the flywheel from the drive shaft.
Prior art devices of the general type described above are less than completely satisfactory in several respects, particularly in terms of their effectiveness and complexity. The present invention provides a clutch and brake assembly which overcomes these problems and is also both more safe and reliable compared to known prior art devices.